1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention generally relates to a window assembly for a vehicle. More specifically, the subject invention relates to a window assembly having transparent regions with performance enhancing slits formed therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, there is an increasing demand for vehicle windows to have transparent films or coatings embedded within the windows for various purposes. Such transparent films or coatings often have metal compounds, such as metal oxides, which cause the transparent films or coatings to be electrically conductive. The transparent films or coatings have recently been applied to windows to reflect heat from sunlight penetrating the window. In particular, the transparent films or coatings reflect infrared radiation from sunlight. In so doing, the transparent films or coatings reduce the amount of infrared radiation entering an interior of the vehicle. The transparent films or coatings enable a lower interior temperature as compared to a vehicle having a window with no transparent films or coatings. As a result, during the warm months, less energy is required to lower the interior temperature of the vehicle. To maximize efficiency of the transparent films or coatings to reflect infrared radiation, the transparent films or coatings are often applied over a substantial majority of the window, often covering the entire field of view of the driver or occupant of the vehicle.
It is known to utilize the transparent films or coatings as transparent antenna elements with respect to the window of the vehicle. However, conventional transparent antennas utilized in windows encounter performance degradation as a result of ever-increasing electromagnetic interference. Thus, there remains a need to control radiation patterns and impedance characteristics of such transparent antennas employed on windows. Additionally, conventional transparent antennas utilized in windows are typically configured to operate within only narrow frequency ranges. As such, conventional transparent antennas have limited application.